Brenda Askeland braves falling in the snow in Fairbanks and freezing in a cabin in Talkeetna — all while chasing her dream of seeing the Aurora Borealis Lured by dreams of the Northern Lights, we landed at Fairbanks International at the ungodly hour of 2am. It was March and minus 20°C.We had travelled to Alaska during a cold month as it is only then that Mother Nature stages her great colour extravaganza.The Chena River in Fairbanks was frozen under a blanket of snow. On the pavements and streets, patches of barely visible black ice waited to ambush the unwary traveller.My "penguin walk" proved ineffective and that treacherous ice led to my downfall on several occasions.story_article_left1Tours were available by road and air, and the efficient bus and taxi services made it possible to explore local places of interest.We knew we'd end up going to the dogs in Alaska, mushing being the official state sport. There's something very special about sledding over spruce-lined trails with a team of lively, enthusiastic dogs.As we were so close to the Arctic Circle, harsh weather was not unexpected. On one brutally cold night, we found ourselves freezing up in the dark hills near Chena Hot Springs while the mercury plunged to plenty-something below.We sallied south on Alaska Railroad's once-a-week-in-winter train, which would come to a halt - mainly in the remote Hurricane Gulch area - whenever a planted flag or smiling snowman alerted the engineer to off-gridders wishing to board. With bags and boxes, some with dogs, they would climb up into the comfortable guard's van before the train resumed its journey.Our destination was the quirky little town of Talkeetna, pretty as a postcard with its old, wooden buildings and quaint log cabins.Our temporary home was a cabin, a moose-stride away from the Susitna River. We were privileged to be cordially welcomed by Mayor Stubbs, once he'd been located under the counter in the pub attached to Nagley's General Store. The short-tailed ginger cat has held office here for over 19 years.We dined on mouth-watering local salmon, sampled the delicious crab, halibut and other seafood, silently apologised to the Red-Nosed One as we tucked into reindeer, and reluctantly skipped the sourdough pancakes as big as grizzly bears' paws.The highlight of our stay in Talkeetna was a flight-seeing tour over the Alaska Range, drifting above lonely forests, frozen rivers and off-grid homesteads beside iced-over lakes. Landing on the stark whiteness of the Ruth Glacier was totally surreal.story_article_right2Further south lay Anchorage in its beautiful setting on the shores of the Cook Inlet. We toured the sprawling town where large, modern shopping malls sprouted up between small, featureless ones from yesteryear. We visited fascinating Lake Hood, the largest floatplane base in the world, and strolled through Earthquake Park, an erstwhile residential area completely obliterated by the powerful 9.2 quake in 1964.A trip down the scenic Seward Highway to Turnagain Arm produced magnificent vistas of snow-dusted mountains and steel-grey sea. A cable-car ride to the top of the lovely Alyeska ski resort offered more panoramic views, and a wildlife conservancy near the town of Girdwood provided an opportunity to see snow lynx and the woolly muskox.Did we realise our dreams of seeing the Northern Lights? Yes, we did. On that unforgettable night in the hills near Chena Hot Springs, the brutal cold, the aching faces, and even the awkward tumble into a deep snowdrift were a small price to pay for such a big prize.Share your travel experiences with us in 'Readers' World' and you could win R1,000Send your photos - at least 500KB - and a story of no more than 800 words. ALL winners receive R1,000. Only winning entrants will be contacted. E-mail travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za..